Apple ditched Google Maps over voice-guided turn-by-turn driving directions, according to reports. The two companies faced stalemate over the maps app as Apple refused to allow Google branding, while Google refused to give up spoken directions.
AllThingsD reports Apple wanted verbal directions added to the Google Maps app on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch -- after all, they're included in the Maps app built into Google's own Android operating system for phones and tablets.
But that's the rub. Apple had hitched its apple cart to a company that had, since the initial hitching, evolved into Apple's biggest rival. Google was therefore understandably in no rush to fork over such an important feature to its biggest rival in the mobile phone world.
And while Apple wanted vocular turn-by-turn directionation, it didn't want Google putting its name on the app, no matter how hard Google tried. It also didn't want Google Latitude added to it.
And so Apple gave Google Maps the old heave-ho, a year before the end of the contract between the two companies. Apple may be happier to have its own Maps app at last, but the rest of us aren't: the Maps app arrived with huge chunks of data missing, inaccurate or hopelessly out-of-date.
As handy as spoken turn-by-turn directions are, they're not much use if they direct you to the wrong place. So let's hope Apple is racing to fix the data in the app.
After Apple was forced to replace Google Maps with an inferior app thanks to Google's canny use of turn-by-turn directions as a bargaining chip, Google is now in no rush to rescue Apple Maps. Big G boss Eric Schmidt said this week the search giant had done no work on a Google Maps app for iOS 6.
You can still use Google Maps online in your web browser on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. As if to demonstrate its superiority, Google Maps is also adding Street View to the iOS Safari online version some time in the next couple of weeks.
How have you found Apple Maps? Do you want voice navigation? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
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Comments 7
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gtcodave 27 September, 2012 19:56
What I find hard to grasp is for such a premium price for such a premium product Id have thought Apple could allow Google to, at most, brand their mapping software.
I can't see how Apple will ever have a competitive POI database but at least they haven't actually forced an unfinished product on its users again... Oh wait...
The navigation is good. It lacks spoken street names which is a must IMO but Otis far from finished.
Maybe I'm being too hard on Apple... Or maybe not.
anonymous 27 September, 2012 20:10
Have you ever had the time when you're running out of petrol and you're trying to look for a fueling station on 'maps' to fill up. Well I had this exact scenario driving through an area I was not familiar with, hoping Apple Maps would come to my rescue, instead, in typing in "PetroL" it brought up a dozen convenience stores, driving past them all not one a petrol station.
Google maps did not have this problem. I sure hope Google releases a maps app for the Iphone, as not having a functional map app is enough to deter me to using another mobile.
jempuk 27 September, 2012 21:40
you can get google maps on the iphone now go to safari and then google maps and it prompts you to install it on your phone as an icon. What's the fuss about?
Kookie Wentworth 27 September, 2012 23:45
Up until the G. maps debarcle, I had always like the completeness of their products. Now they seem to have both dented my confidence in them with their intransigence and shot themselves in the foot at the same time.
anonymous 28 September, 2012 08:35
This what happen when a company gets to greedy and thinks of its own bank accounts, Where android wins is its open to all, not like apple where they want to own it all.
i think if they keep up this selfish attitude they will loose a great deal of customers.
samuelc 28 September, 2012 17:14
Quite ridiculous from Apple regarding branding - '
APPLE: 'Hey Google, we'll use your amazing maps software that's way better than ours but you're not allowed to tell anyone that you make the amazing map software.'
GOOGLE: But we've put a lot of effort into making this and would like people to know it was us who created it.
APPLE: Nah,
arphone1 30 September, 2012 11:04
The conversation was a bit more like this:
APPLE: we're using your maps google and paying you for them. That's great. But Android users also get turn by turn navigation. Can you emable that function for apple users as well when they're using maps?
GOOGLE: (thinks for a second) Nope
APPLE: but that's unfair- you're keeping things back from the public because they're not using android?
GOOGLE: no comment:)
APPLE: damm- we'd better find our own maps with turn by turn navigation
a few months later (post release or IOS 6)
APPLE: Oh O:(
INNOCENT IOS USERS: these maps suck
SOME OTHER IOS USERS: lucky we can carry on using google maps on IOS 6 (but how come the people knocking IOS 6 maps aren't making that clear?)
tbc